Three Famous American Soldiers

By: Felicity Grant Click author's name for more of his/her articles

1. Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower, October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969 was the thirty-fourth President of the United States from 1953 to 1961. Before his election to the presidency he served in the United States Army as a five-star general. During World War II Eisenhower served as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces in Europe and was responsible for planning, supervising and executing the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944-45. Eisenhower was a native of Texas and a graduate of U.S. Military Academy of West Point. In all his military positions Eisenhower showed great talents for leadership and diplomacy. He won the respect of front-line commanders by dealing skillfully with difficult personalities such as Omar Bradley, George Patton and allied leaders like Winston Churchill, Bernard Montgomery and Charles de Gaulle.

2. Robert E. Lee, January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870, served in the United States Army as a career officer, engineer and general for 32 years. He is among the most celebrated Army generals in American history. Lee graduated from the U.S. Military Academy of West Point and quickly distinguished himself as an outstanding soldier. He is best known for his service on for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Lee's best victories include the Seven Days Battles, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of Chancellorsville. However, both his campaigns to invade Union forces failed. Lee narrowly escaped the defeat at the Battle of Antietam in 1862 and was forced to return to the South. In July 1863, Lee was resolutely defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg but again narrowly escaped to Virginia. Lee's victories against superior forces won him lasting fame and respect as a shrewd and enterprising battlefield tactician though many military historians criticized many of his strategic decisions, like the invasion of the North in 1862 and 1863.

3. Thomas “Stonewall” Jonathan Jackson, January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863 was an American Confederate General during the American Civil War. Many military historians consider him the most revered Confederate commander second only to Robert E. Lee because of his great tactical skills. His military career encompasses famous battles like the bold Valley Campaign of 1862 and a stint as a corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee. Sadly Jackson was accidentally shot in May 1863 by Confederate soldiers at the Battle of Chancellorsville, which the general survived, but with the loss of an arm to amputation. However, he died of complications of pneumonia eight days later.

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About The Author: For more on soldiers, visit www.subs4soldiers.com Felicity Grant is a freelance writer in Atlanta.